


A Price to Pay

by Suukarin



Series: The High Price for Science [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gaster Blasters, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Undertale, Sans-centric, Scientist Sans, Shoutouts to other AUs, skelebros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-23 01:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7460877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suukarin/pseuds/Suukarin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans didn't expect to get the position, but here he is: Official Assistant to Dr. W. D. Gaster. It's been a long time since he's been this excited...</p><p>He wants this to last forever.</p><p>(Chapter Five, or "Man, Papyrus is Such a Good Bro Sometimes")</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As original as I try to be, sometimes others' ideas help fuel my own. Credit to Zarla (zarla.livejournal.com) for the ideas of Papyrus picking Sans up, and bone-rattling as an expression of emotion.
> 
> To avoid later spoilers, I will credit other inspirations in the chapters where they appear.

"SANS! THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS ANSWER YOUR TEXTS WHEN I ASK YOU TO PICK UP GROCERIES! JEEZ, YOU CAN BE SO LAZY SOME... WELL... MOST OF THE TIME!"

Papyrus slams the door behind him before he begins unwinding the scarf from around his entire face.

"THOUGH, YOU WEREN'T AT GRILLBY'S, WHICH I GUESS IS AN IMPROVEMENT FOR... YOU..."

His words trail off as the scarf falls away from his eyes, and he finds himself greeted by a sight that makes his marrow run cold...

"SANS!!! ARE YOU-- ARE YOU...."

Papyrus rushes to his brother's side--

".... _CLEANING?!?_ "

"Yeah, and this laundry basket is heavy. Gimme a hand here, will y-- _oof!_ "

Instead of the basket, Papyrus picks up his brother by under his arms, squinting as he looks Sans square in the eyesockets.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Papyrus demands, ignoring the perpetual grin on his brother's face. "ARE YOU SICK? WERE YOU THREATENED?? OR... ARE YOU MAYBE AN IMPOSTOR _DISGUISED_ AS MY BROTHER TO--"

"Ah, c'mon, bro, you worry too much," Sans laughs, not bothering to try and wriggle out of his brother's hold. "Maybe I just wanted to start today on a _clean slate,_ y'know?"

"UGH!! NEVER MIND, YOU ARE DEFINITELY SANS. STILL..."

Sans' grin widens as Papyrus pulls him closer, a suspicious scowl still on the taller skeleton's face.

"SOMETHING MUST BE DIFFERENT," he declares. "AFTER ALL, YOU NORMALLY WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT CLEANING IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!"

"Yeah, tell me about it," the older brother agrees, reveling in his brother's perplexion as Papyrus begins pacing the room, still holding Sans up. "But, y'know, I decided it was time for me to do some... _real work_ around here."

"YOUR EMPHASIS TELLS ME THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOME KIND OF CLUE... IS THIS SOME PUZZLE I'M SUPPOSED TO FIGURE OUT?"

"If you want to! After all, you tend to do a really good _job_ of solving them, don't you?"

"NYEH! NYEH HEH! I, PUZZLE MASTER PAPYRUS, ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE! I CAN EASILY FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL ME, SANS!"

"I'm counting on it, bro," Sans laughs. "But, uh, could you put me down so I can get back to cleaning? You could say I want to get some practice doing some... _hard work_ for once."

"MORE HINTS, I SEE... BUT I WILL OBLIGE MY BROTHER!" Papyrus declares, finally setting Sans back on the ground. "AFTER ALL, I ALSO NEED TO FOCUS ON THIS PUZZLE YOU HAVE JUST GIVEN ME!"

"Yep, you sure do," Sans agrees, brushing off his shirt lightly before returning to the laundry basket abandoned on the floor. "Let me know if you want another hint, but I'm sure someone as great as you can figure it out... you have mastered the _science_ of puzzles, after all."

"I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN, BROTHER!"

* * *

The static from the lack of late-night television does not distract Sans as he carefully sets the mirror into his telescope, then peers into it to test his placement.

_hmm... still can't see out the end, maybe i need to_

"BROTHER! I HAVE SOLVED THE PUZZLE!"

" _Gah!_ "

Papyrus slams his bedroom door open, and Sans jolts, the eyepiece of his telescope flipping straight up into his eyesocket.

"Jeez... I thought you were asleep, Papyrus," Sans grumbles a bit as he removes the telescope, then glows both his eyes to make sure they're still okay. "I even read you your puzzle book tonight..."

"I WAS, BUT EVEN IN MY DREAMS I WAS SOLVING YOUR PUZZLE, AND I FIGURED IT OUT!" Papyrus declares, triumphant.

"Oh? Did you, now? Well, let's hear the answer!"

"IT WAS EASY FOR A GRAND PUZZLE MASTER LIKE MYSELF!" the lanky skeleton announces, descending the stairs with great pomp. "FIRST, WHEN I CAME HOME, YOU WERE... _CLEANING!_ WHICH IS A TYPE OF WORK!"

Sans sits cross-legged on the ground, grinning widely as he watches his brother pace across the living room like he always does when solving a puzzle.

"THEN... _THEN!_ " Papyrus continues. "YOU KEPT MENTIONING JOBS, AND _WORK!_ WHICH YOU NEVER DO, BROTHER!"

"Sure doesn't sound like something I'd normally talk about, huh?" Sans agrees, his bony face hurting from his ever-growing smile.

"INDEED! SO WHATEVER THE SOLUTION WAS... IT HAD TO INVOLVE WORK, SOMEHOW! WORK THAT YOU _WANT_ TO DO, NO LESS! WHICH LEADS TO THE BIGGEST CLUE OF ALL..."

Papyrus stops mid-step and spins around, pointing a bony finger at his brother.

"YOU WOULDN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT SCIENCE ONCE DURING DINNER!" he declares, looking proud of himself for noticing. "AND, IN FACT, INSTEAD OF SLEEPING, YOU ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING SCIENCE-Y RIGHT NOW! WHICH! CAN ONLY MEAN!"

Despite himself, Sans feels his bones rattling from excitement--

"YOU GOT THE JOB AS THE ROYAL SCIENTIST'S ASSISTANT?!?!"

"Can't put anything past you, Papyrus!" Sans laughs, eyes lighting up.

"WOWIE! _WOWIE!!_ I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, BROTHER!!!"

Papyrus runs up to his brother and kneels down in front of him, his own bones clattering together from sheer excitement.

"SEE?! AND YOU WERE SO SURE THAT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET THE JOB!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell me I was wrong this time," Sans concedes, rubbing the back of his head. "But I mean, if you had _seen_ the test we all had to take, each question was really two, and the second one was always written in this weird gibberish that I don't even know _how_ it made sense--"

"BUT YOU GOT IT! YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY, BROTHER!!" Papyrus interrupts, his own bony face lit up by a grin. "NOW YOU GET TO DO REAL SCIENCE, IN A REAL LAB! AREN'T YOU EXCITED, SANS?! I KNOW I AM!!"

Faced with his brother's infectious enthusiasm, Sans laughs, leaning back a bit and propping himself up.

"SO, WHEN DO YOU START?" Papyrus demands, his whole body still slightly rattling. "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE DOING? WHEN DO YOU GET TO MEET MR. BIG SCIENCE GUY?"

"I, uh, I'm supposed to go to the lab in Hotland next week, which is when I get to meet Dr. Gaster," Sans explains. "I'm not sure what's gonna happen in the short run, but eventually I'm gonna be helping with research on soul magic. Cool, right?"

"HMM... SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE... DANGEROUS," Papyrus admits, finally calming his bones. "BUT! IT ALSO SOUNDS REALLY COOL AND IMPORTANT! LIKE YOU, BROTHER!"

"Aha, you're gonna make me blush, bro."

"DON'T BE SILLY, SANS! SKELETONS DON'T BLUSH, WE DON'T HAVE SKIN."

Sans laughs, and Papyrus frowns a bit, wondering if he just accidentally made a joke.

"IN ANY CASE!!" the taller skeleton declares, letting his expression light back up. "I'M HAPPY FOR YOU, BROTHER! I AM HAPPY THAT YOU ARE HAPPY!"

"Heh... thanks, bro," Sans chuckles, eyes still faintly glowing blue. "Not gonna lie... I haven't felt this excited in a long time..."

He tilts his head back, looking up at the ceiling.

"...I hope it lasts this time."


	2. Chapter 2

_**why** did i let papyrus talk me into wearing this when i knew the lab was going to be in **hotland** of all places_

Despite his lack of sweat glands -- or, for that matter, skin -- Sans finds himself tugging at the neck of his button-down shirt, trying to vent the heat away from his bones.

_"C'mon, bro, where did you even find this shirt? I forgot I even owned anything but t-shirts..."_

_"YOU HAVE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION, BROTHER! AFTER ALL, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING REAL SCIENCE!!"_

He hadn't been able to argue that point, but then again, he didn't really try to; Papyrus' enthusiasm always puts Sans in a good mood...

But as he stands in front of the lab's entrance, Sans can't help but feel incredibly... _small_.

_maybe this was a mistake,_ he catches himself thinking, still staring at the door, not yet finding the guts to knock. _maybe i can just... go home and pretend i never showed up. what's the worst that would happen...?_

Sans takes a moment to envision the possibilities, and physically cringes when he sees Papyrus' disappointed face in his mind's eye.

_well. guess that answers that, then..._

He takes a deep breath, imagines what it would be like to have lungs and an actual breath to hold, then raps his bony knuckles on the hard metal door.

When he doesn't hear even the sound of movement on the other side, Sans knocks again, a little harder this time.

_is anyone even here...?_

"A-ah, I'm coming, I'm coming! One second...!"

Sans hears the door unlocking, and it slides open, revealing a short yellow lizard in a dingy lab coat, nervously playing with the glasses on her face.

"Uh... hi there," Sans greets, noticing the lizard's eyes widen. "I'm, uh, I'm Sans, the new--"

"O-Oh! Y-- _you're_ the new assistant?" the lizard interrupts, a weird sort of laugh in her words. "Uh, y-yeah, come -- come in! I'll, uh, call Dr. Gaster up right away!"

She backs away as she pulls out a cell phone from her coat pocket, and Sans steps into the lab, greeted by a refreshing blast of cool air.

"H... hi, Dr. Gaster!" the lizard speaks into her phone, the same nervous giggle in her voice. "Um, uh, the uh, the new assistant is here, so... so whenever you get a chance to come meet him, Ithinkyoushouldcomeupnowokaybye!"

She hangs up the phone and quickly shoves it back in her pocket before turning back to face Sans.

"S-Sorry, he, uh... sometimes gets, um, r-really engrossed in his work, haha!" she laughs awkwardly, nervously wringing her hands together. "He, uh, he should be up in just a minute! Then we'll, uh, w-we'll probably... show you around the lab and, and..."

She trails off for a minute, then laughs again, just as tense as before.

"S-Sorry, I, uh, I know you said your name, but I, I..."

"I'm Sans," he reintroduces himself, somewhat... impressed by how very awkward this lizard is acting around him. "Sans the skeleton. But, y'know, just Sans is fine."

"I-I'm A-Alphys," she finally introduces herself, twiddling her fingers together. "I'm, uh, I'm just an intern here, but... I'm, uh, really excited to get t-to work with you! I'm just, w-well, sorta s-surprised that there's, um..."

Peering over the top of her glasses, Alphys laughs nervously.

"...t-two of you...?"

"Eh...?"

Despite himself, Sans let out a surprised laugh.

"Trust me, if there were two of me, I, uh.... I would not be here," he says. "I mean, what's the point of a clone if you can't make them do your work for you, right?"

"N-No, that's not -- well, yes, you're right, th-that would be smart, but that n-not what I meant--"

" _Alphys, how many times have I told you that I can't understand you when you ramble like that?_ "

Sans turns, the sound of another's voice catching his attention--

_...no... no way..._

" _I also thought I asked you to bring the new assistant down to the lab when he arrived,_ " Dr. Gaster chides, cleaning his glasses on his lab coat. " _Well, since I'm up here, let us see who we are... working..._ "

He slows, then comes to a stop before putting his glasses back on to make sure he's seeing correctly.

" _...oh._ "

Sans can't stop himself from staring, knowing it's rude, but after all this time of thinking it was just him and Papyrus--

It is Dr. Gaster who snaps out of it first, quickly striding across the lab.

" _You must be Sans,_ " he greets, eyes glowing warmly as he extends a thin, skeletal hand towards Sans. " _It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Dr. W. D. Gaster--_ "

"A-Ah, Doctor, you -- you're forgetting to sign what you're--" Alphys begins, stammering nervously.

"The, uh, the pleasure is mine," Sans interrupts, reaching out with his own hand and returning the shake. "Gotta say, I, uh, never expected to see ano--"

"N... No way..."

Without immediately letting go of Dr. Gaster's hand, Sans glances over to see the dumbfounded expression on Alphys' face.

"You can understand what he's saying...?!" she asks. "You're, uh, you're the first person th-that Dr. G-Gaster hasn't, um, had to sign for! Th-the _first!_ "

" _Oh, I knew I was forgetting something_ ," Dr. Gaster grumbles under his breath, raising his arms. " _Hang on..._ "

Sans notices the large holes Dr. Gaster's gesturing hands, then sees the floating, translucent hands hovering near the scientist's head, detached from any sort of physical body.

" _My apologies, Alphys,_ " Dr. Gaster says, the floating hands signing to translate his words. " _It is difficult to remember sometimes that you do not understand me... I will be more attentive in the future._ "

"I-It's fine, just... How can _he_ understand you?" Alphys shakes her head, pointing at a bewildered Sans.

"I, uh... didn't even realize he was speaking a different language," the shorter skeleton admits, glancing between Dr. Gaster's floating hands and Alphys. "Is that a problem...?"

"N-No, i-it's not a, a _problem_ , just... just..."

" _Alphys has a point; there are very few who have been able to understand my... dialect, as it were,_ " Dr. Gaster chuckles softly. " _But that is a mystery that can perhaps be solved another day, yes? For now... Alphys, why don't you and I show Sans around the lab? We should double-check to make sure the morning tasks have been completed, anyway._ "

"Y-Yeah, sure! C-C'mon, Sans, the elevator to the main lab is this way!"

Sans follows after Alphys as she scurries towards the elevator, and occasionally glances back over his shoulder to look at Dr. Gaster.

_no way..._

* * *

 

"THE ROYAL SCIENTIST IS ALSO A SKELETON?!"

"I know! I couldn't believe it either!"

Papyrus can't even find it in him to be mad as Sans accidentally slobbers ketchup all over the kitchen counters, getting more on the counter than on his burger.

"I THOUGHT WE WERE THE ONLY ONES!" the younger brother declares, watching Sans pick up his food and shovel nearly the entire burger into his mouth. "DOES THAT MEAN HE'S RELATED TO US? ...WOULD THAT MEAN WE'D HAVE TO LIVE WITH HIM? AFTER ALL, YOU AND I ARE FAMILY AND WE--"

"Nah, bro, we wouldn't have to even if we _were_ related," Sans shakes his head, feeling his food slide down his throat into a nonexistent stomach. "But, uh, I don't think that's the case anyway. He just looked.... surprised to see another skeleton, I guess. Wouldn't _you_ be surprised, bro?"

"NO, BECAUSE I SEE ANOTHER SKELETON ALL THE TIME! HIS NAME IS SANS. AND HE WAS _SUPPOSED_ TO BE HOME TO READ THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MY PUZZLE BOOK TO ME _THREE HOURS AGO!_ "

"Alright, alright! Just lemme finish these fries and I'll be right up and you can go to bed, crankybones."

With a triumphant expression, Papyrus finally leaves the kitchen as Sans douses his fries in ketchup.

_...what if papyrus is right?_ Sans finds himself wondering, reaching into the mound and pushing a fistful of fries into his mouth. _what if we are related to gaster...? not like skeletons are running around all over the place, or..._

He muses on that thought before his eyes widen, another, more distressing idea taking hold in his mind.

_...how did i go a whole day without **any skeleton jokes?!**_

Sans cries out in frustration before knocking his plate on the floor, cursing himself for missing such a brilliant opportunity.

_agh... well... i guess... there's always tomorrow_ , he mutters to himself, abandoning his mess to finally go read Papyrus his bedtime story. _or the day after that. or..._

He has to pause for another moment when he realizes...

_...heh. guess this is one way to be excited for work._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's try writing Alpys, I said
> 
> Let's try creating a personality for Dr. Gaster, I said
> 
> Hopefully I'll have more idea of what I'm doing in future chapters


	3. Chapter 3

"No, w-wait, Sans, that's too much calci--!"

Alphys' words cannot beat the small explosion of smoke that erupts into Sans' face, turning his white skull black with soot.

"Oh, whoops~"

Alphys claws at her face before biting her nails.

"Sans, th-that was our last set of test tubes!" she wails as the skeleton wipes his face clean with his lab coat sleeve. "Now I have to go to the dump to find more...!"

"Oh jeez, really?" Sans asks, the smile on his face masking his actual surprise. "I thought we had a way to make glass down here now?"

"W-Well, we do, b-but it's usually just easier to--"

" _Alphys, Sans._ "

Alphys and Sans turn to find Dr. Gaster in the doorway, frowning.

" _I have to step out of the lab,_ " Gaster says, his hands moving with the same irritation as in his voice. " _Apparently there's been an... incident at the Core. I need to make sure that the power source hasn't been compromised. Alphys, make sure that all the organic experiments are tended to today, yes?_ "

"A-Ah, of course, Dr. Gaster!" Alphys nods energetically. "W-We'll, uh, get right on that now!"

Without another word, Gaster turns and strides down the hall, leaving Sans and Alphys alone once more.

"Must be serious if he's going to the Core himself," the lizard says quietly, eyes still fixed on where the royal scientist had been moments before. "I hope no one got hurt this time..."

"Wait... he's going to the Core?" Sans asks, eyes widening. " _The_ Core? As in, 'the source of _all electricity for the entire Underground_ ' Core?"

"W-Wow, y--you're excited about that too?!" Alphys asks, her eyes shining with excitement. "I thought that, um, only I was that excited about the importance of the Core! W-Well, I mean, aside from Dr. Gaster, of course...!"

"Are you _kidding?_ I've been wanting to go to the Core ever since my brother was still just a baby bones!" Sans replies, his own eyes flashing blue. "But when you live in Snowdin, well..."

"Oh, _wow_ , you come to work from _Snowdin?_ Jeez, if it weren't so serious, I'd, um, I'd tell Dr. Gaster to take you with him, since even _he_ doesn't go that often, but--"

" _I thought you once told me it was impolite to talk about others when they were absent, Alphys?_ "

Alphys yelps, and Sans jumps in surprise as well, not expecting to see the royal scientist once again standing in the doorway.

" _Oh, calm down, I am only teasing you two,_ " Gaster says, one hand on his chin as the magical hands translate his words for Alphys' benefit. " _But Alphys does have a point, Sans. There are not many opportunities to visit the heart of the Core... if Alphys can manage without you, would you care to accompany me?_ "

Sans feels what he imagines would be a heart skipping a beat, and quickly glances back at Alphys.

"I-I'll be totally fine," the lizard assures, an almost relieved smile on her face. "And I've already gotten to see the Core before, s-so... go on! I, uh, I have your number i-in case there's any problems at the lab."

" _Many thanks, Alphys,_ " Gaster says, something like a smile creeping to his face. " _If that's the case, shall we be on our way, Sans?_ "

It's all Sans can do to keep himself from rattling his bones apart as he quickly follows after the royal scientist, his smile as wide as it can possibly go.

* * *

 

"So... the Core is really just a giant catalyst, then? You just, uh, put the magic spell in, and it amplifies the conversion into electricity... right?"

" _You're very skilled at breaking things down to their base components, Sans,_ " Gaster nods, not bothering to sign. " _It is actually two spells being amplified by a crystal structure that we were very fortunate to find in this cave. The first spell is most important -- it is what converts the geothermal energy into electricity, and requires the most amplification. Otherwise, instead of seconds for the whole underground, the conversion would take hours just to generate enough electricity to power the capitol._ "

_man, if papyrus knew i was paying this much attention to anything, i'd never hear the end of it,_ Sans thinks to himself as the royal scientist pauses at a checkpoint, and places a bony hand on a glass palm reader.

" _Unfortunately, though, the dual nature of this setup means that the power source is... fragile, to put it mildly,_ " Gaster sighs as the electric barrier dissipates, and they both pass through. " _Any small disturbance can disrupt the conversion process, so the Core is normally sealed off... but any fool dedicated enough to his cause can--_ "

"Ah, Dr. Gaster! There you are!"

Both skeletons look over to see what looks like a fiery technician running up to them, out of breath.

"Sorry, I would have met you at the gate, but we were evacuating everyone else," the monster apologizes, the smell of smoke rising from its own simmering body. "Per your instructions, Doctor, we've lowered the magical output, but, um... the, uh, 'object' still hasn't... come back out."

" _What fell in this time?_ " Gaster asks, translating with his actual hands, and Sans can hear the resigned frustration in his voice.

"Er... it was... Mr. Gigas, Dr. Gaster. He was one of our... newer maintenance workers. He wanted to see what happened if he threw a coin into the Core, and... toppled in with it."

A palpable silence fills the air, and Sans feels the marrow run cold in his bones.

" _...I see,_ " Gaster finally responds, almost forgetting to sign. " _That is... all I need to know. My assistant and I will take care of it from here, Mr. Flamesman._ "

With a quick nod of its flaming head, the technician darts off, leaving a small trail of smoke in its wake.

" _...so much for fool-proof safety features,_ " Gaster mutters, mostly to himself before turning back to acknowledge his assistant. " _Sans, are you alright?_ "

"Yeah, just... just a little _rattled_ ," Sans laughs a bit, feebly shaking his arms to emphasize the joke. "I mean, what's the worst that could have happened to the guy -- if he died, he'd just turn to dust, right? Right...?"

" _Unfortunately, Sans, we are going to find out the hard way what happened to him,_ " the royal scientist answers, not even a tinge of morbid curiosity in his voice. " _Come, we need to disable the Core. It is the only way we can safely remove... whatever is left inside._ "

As Gaster leads the way to the control panel for the Core, Sans can't shake the ominous feeling that "whatever is left" is going to be something he'd rather not encounter.

_c'mon, don't think like that,_ he chides himself. _monster corpses turn to dust, the worst that's gonna happen is you're gonna get a faceful of dust, yeah...? dust ain't the end of the world._

" _Sans, pay attention. This is important._ "

"S-Sorry, Dr. Gaster, I'm listening."

Gaster frowns slightly at Sans, then relaxes his expression as he gestures to the twin control panels.

" _The technicians have already reduced the magical input, but we will need to completely cut off the spell from the catalyst,_ " he explains, stepping up to one of them. " _Normally this is a task I complete myself, but it will be easier with a second set of hands, so to speak._ "

Not sure what to expect, Sans approaches the other panel, watching as the screen flickers quietly to life.

Strange symbols flash across the monitor -- definitely not the common language, and yet...

"...Hey, these are--"

" _Focus, Sans._ "

Sans glances out of the corner of his eyesocket and sees that Gaster is already rapidly typing away, his skeletal body surrounded by a faint yellow aura as he pours his magic into his work.

After a moment's hesitation, Sans glances back at his screen, summoning up what little magic he can muster as he begins following the instructions the computer spits out.

_but these definitely are the same... letters? that were on the test,_ he can't help but think as he gradually becomes more confident in his typing, his magic making it admittedly easier to read the glyphs. _and if he can read 'em, too... is this what dr. gaster speaks in? and more importantly... how the heck can **i** read them?_

As Sans thinks, he doesn't notice the dizziness setting in.

_i guess this is something to, uh... to ask him about... later...?_

" _Sans, are you alright?_ "

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Sans answers, shaking his head to clear his mind, not noticing Gaster glancing in his direction. "This is just, uh... uh, it's taking more out of me than I expected, but..."

He trails off as he realizes the glyphs on the screen are starting to blur together into a single hazy image.

" _Sans, you're going to burn yourself out._ "

"I'm fine, I'm..."

_i'm not really **this** weak, am i....?_

With great effort, Sans forces himself to keep typing, even as his vision starts going a little dark around the edges.

" _That's enough, Sans,_ " Gaster orders firmly, stepping away from his own console to approach Sans. " _There is no sense in you harming yourself. I will take care of it from--_ "

"I _said_ I can--"

He doesn't expect Gaster to displace him away from the keyboard, fluidly picking up where Sans had left off.

" _You've done well enough,_ " the royal scientist says, almost placatingly as Sans looks up at him in confusion. " _I will take care of it from here, Sans._ "

Sans prepares a protest, but finds himself too mentally exhausted to retort, and instead sulks away from the console.

He eventually leans against the Core's containment unit, then slides down until he's slumped on the ground, still mentally kicking himself.

_way to make a good impression there, sans,_  he grumbles silently. _he's probably cursing himself right now for not putting down on the exam, "do you have more stamina than a cardboard box," or... or..._

He hears the sound of a great machine slowly powering down, and the doors beside him slide open--

Something large and grey and very, very gangly in appearance comes flying out from within the Core, as though fired out of a great cannon.

"What the--!?"

Sans scrambles to his feet, suddenly very much alert as the grey... _thing_ hits the far wall and crumples to the ground, unmoving.

_what the hell is that...!?_

" _My, my... seems our friend here met a gruesome end indeed._ "

At Gaster's almost nonchalant tone, Sans looks over, unconsciously rattling his bones in alarm.

"What... what the hell _is_ that thing?" he brings himself to ask before staring back at the grey lump across the room.

" _Sans... are you familiar with a human process called 'embalming'?_ " Gaster asks, tapping a single finger against his jaw as he, too, observes the body across the room. " _Humans fill the bodies of their dead with a mix of chemicals in order to preserve their appearance and prevent the onset of decay. It seems that is what happened to this poor fellow... He probably died as soon as he fell into the Core, but his body absorbed so much magic that it turned into... **that.**_ "

As his nerves finally start to calm themselves, Sans starts being able to vaguely make out the lump as a body, seeing the stretched-out arms and legs as such, and what looks to be the cartoon cut-out of a giant head.

" _...Sans, I must offer you my apologies,_ " Gaster finally says, and Sans can feel the hole in Gaster's palm as the scientist puts a hand on his shoulder. " _It is normally not people that fall into the Core... had I known this would be the case, I would have had you stay at the lab._ "

"...it... it's fine," the shorter skeleton finally brings himself to say, finally peeling his sight away from the distorted monster body, but away from the scientist. "If I'd known I was going to be a... big disappointment, I wouldn't have been so excited to tag along, hah..."

" _Hm...? Are you referring to your assistance with powering down the Core?_ " Gaster asks, a genuine concern tinging his words. " _Do not worry yourself over that. I appreciate what help you were able to provide._ "

_well when you put it like that, it almost makes me feel worse for trying at all..._

Despite Sans' forced smile, he feels Gaster studying his expression carefully before cracking a soft grin of his own.

" _Do not worry, Sans,_ " the royal scientist says, almost gently. " _You would know if I really had a bone to pick with you._ "

"H-Huh--?"

Sans finds himself staring back at Gaster, his eyesockets widening in disbelief.

"Did you just--" he starts, his smile becoming more genuine.

" _I thought that would lift your spirits,_ " Gaster nods. " _So long as you try, Sans, I will not be disappointed. You can do that much, yes?_ "

"Oh, I... I can definitely try," Sans replies, beaming. "I can try and be very trying, indeed!"

Gaster chuckles, and Sans is happy to feel his satisfaction quickly replace the self-loathing that had been weighing down his mind.

" _Now, then,_ " Gaster begins, clapping his hands together briefly. " _I need to restart the Core before the entire Underground loses electricity. While I do that, will you find the man we were talking to earlier and tell him it's safe to return? I am sure that someone will need to contact that monster's family for... however they intend to hold the funerary procession. I'll meet you at the entrance when I'm finished._ "

"I think I can accomplish that _incredibly_ demanding task," Sans shrugs, forcing an exasperated sigh before marching off with a true grin on his face.

As he wanders off, Sans doesn't see the smile fade from Gaster's face, replaced by a concerned frown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby's first long chapter in over seven years!
> 
> Trying to get a handle on how I want Gaster to sound... I know how I _want_ him to sound, but making it happen is always the trick, isn't it? Haha.
> 
> Comments won't make the next chapter come faster because it's convention season, but they're nice all the same. uwu


	4. Chapter 4

“Sans… Sans! Wake _up_ , will you…!?”

“Mnrrhh… wha…?”

With a low groan, Sans opens his eyes, then slowly peels himself off the table and his notes as Alphys huffs, hands on her hips.

“Sans, I know you have to come here all the way from Snowdin, but _honestly!_ ” the lizard chides, nervously glancing towards the doorway as she does so. “If Dr. Gaster catches you sleeping on the job, what are you going to do then, huh?”

“I’m gonna tell him,” Sans responds, yawning loudly, “that he needs to quit working me until I’m bone-tired, of course.”

He takes a moment to savor Alphys’ aggravated groan, then leans forward again, propping his head up in his hands.

“What’s up, Alphys?”

“I… I need you to help me find something,” Alphys admits, awkwardly rubbing the back of her spiked head. “I-I’d ask Dr. Gaster, but, um, he’s in the middle of a time-sensitive experiment, so… he told me you might be able to help?”

“Maybe I can… for ten gold.”

Alphys frowns, but starts searching her pockets for loose change.

“No, I was -- that was a joke, Alphys, I’ll lend you a hand. I’ll even lend you two. What are we looking for?”

“U-um, I need to, um, grow some plants for an… for an experiment to continue my internship in the lab, and… I read that the-there’s something that can make plants grow healthier! A-And Dr. Gaster said he has some, but doesn’t remember where, s-so, um…"

“So… what is it we’re looking for…?”

Alphys’ scaly face reddens.

“Uh… b… bone meal…?”

Sans finds himself staring blankly at Alphys as the lizard laughs nervously, embarrassment painted all over her face.

“I-It’s not made f-from _real_ skeletons, j-just, um, uh--”

“What, and you’re asking us to help you find it because we’re skeletons? Is that what it is, Alphys?” Sans interrupts, one hand gripping the table as he pushes himself to his feet. “‘You think just because we’re made of bones that we can hone in -- no, wait, sorry, _bone_ in on other skeleton-related things?”

“Oh, now you’re just picking on me!” Alphys huffs, her face still flushed as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Ahh, only a little,” the skeleton chuckles, winking as they walk out into the hall. “I only pick on the cool kids, anyway, so you’re fine. C’mon, let’s go look for it, yeah?”

“...yeah…”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sans sees Alphys pouting, shoving her hands into her lab coat pockets before she looks down.

_...maybe i picked on her too much, huh...._

“...Hey, y’know I didn’t mean it, right, Alphys?” he asks, looking over his shoulder when the lizard refuses to fully catch up with him. “It was just supposed to be some bad jokes, nothing serious or personal…”

“I… I know,” Alphys mumbles, looking down as she speaks. “I-I just...i-if I don’t do s-something to impress Dr. Gaster, I, I might n-not get to stay, and, um… I really like w-working here! I-I feel like I’m actually, um… doing something that could be, um, useful. S-So, I just… am really kinda stressed out right now, y’know…?”

Sans usually tries not to feel like a scumbag -- it’s hard to make jokes that way -- but the more Alphys explains, the more he feels like he decidedly went too far this time.

“C’mon, Alphys… you’ll do fine,” he reassures both the lizard and himself. “You’ve got more of a work ethic than I do, that’s for sure. If that _alone_ doesn’t secure your spot, then what hope is there for _me_ , huh?”

She giggles, just a bit, and Sans decides that a half-hearted laugh is better than none at all.

“That’s more like it. Now, what sort of project does the brilliant scientist Alphys have planned this time?”

“Um, um!” Alphys starts, quickly catching up to walk at Sans’ pace. “It’s a sort of, um, theory I’m testing out, but -- you know how human literature likes to, uh, reference things in nature acting like they have s-souls…?”

* * *

 

“...s-so, ultimately, I’m going to see if, um, if plants a-are capable of carrying souls! B-But, um, I don’t really have, um, that much of a green thumb, so--”

“Well, given that the rest of you is yellow, I would hope you’d call the doctor if your thumbs were green.”

“ _Sans!_ ”

Sans can’t stop himself from giggling at his own joke as he and Alphys raid the storeroom shelves in search of bone meal.

“ _Anyway!_ ” Alphys huffs, turning back to examine more poorly-labeled jars. “I can’t do my experiment if, um, if my plants keep dying, so… I need something to help them grow, and I remember Dr. Gaster saying about, uh, having some of this stuff around. Apparently it helps plants grow stronger roots...”

“Probably given to him as a joke,” Sans mutters, wishing there was better lighting. “Who gives a skeleton something called _bone meal?_ Even I’m not that messed up…”

“You know, he did, um, seem pretty happy at the chance to get rid of it… oh! I think this is it!”

Sans doesn’t even have the chance to stand up straight before Alphys hurries over, holding a black, labeled jar in front of his face.

“C-Can you read these for me to make sure it really is it?” she asks, slightly bouncing in place. “I, um, I _think_ the first word is bone? But I’m not sure…?”

“Uh… yeah, that’s definitely it,” the skeleton nods, having given up and accepted that he can read the strange characters that Gaster seems to write in. Looking away, he adds, “Just, uh, don’t open that around me, alright? I don’t particularly feel like getting _that_ close with what might have been… my, uh…my...”

The bad joke trails off into nothing as Sans spots, in the far corner of the tiny storeroom, a pale grey door that he doesn’t remember being there a minute ago…

But he knows opportunity when it comes knocking.

“Heh… hey, check it out, Alphys. Looks like this place is _roomier_ than it looks, eh?”

Sans chuckles at his own awful joke, still examining the grey door, and doesn’t see the bizarre look Alphys shoots at him.

“Uh…? Is that… supposed to be another one of your puns, Sans?” she asks, tightly clutching the jar of bone meal. “B-Because, um, I -- I don’t get it…”

“Eh…? C-C’mon, Alphys, that one practically wrote itself! What else am I supposed to say when there’s another door here, huh?”

This time, Sans turns around, and sees Alphys shaking her head very, very slowly.

“S-Sans, I, um… are you sure you’re alright…?” she asks, nervously this time. “Th… there’s no door there, um… at all…?”

Bewildered at Alphys’ reaction, Sans turns back to stare at the door, clearly there.

“I-I’m, um, I’m g-going to go s-start my experiment now,” the lizard stutters, turning away to go back into the hall. “I-I’ll, um, I’ll be in the b-botany lab if you need me, o-okay, Sans?”

“...yeah, I’ll, uh… catch up with you in a bit, Alphys.”

As Alphys scurries out into the hall, Sans frowns at the grey door in the corner.

_how can she not see it…?_ he wonders to himself, walking up to it and reaching for the doorknob out of curiosity. _it’s right here, how is it not--_

Sans finds himself looking down as his hand phases through the doorknob, straight through the seemingly solid door and into nothingness.

_....well. this is… unexpected._

Carefully, he pulls his hand back out, wiggling all five of his bony fingers to make sure that yes, they really are there…

_well. this could be interesting. ...could also be dangerous. maybe i should keep my nose out of trouble this time…_

It takes Sans a moment to remember he doesn’t even have a nose.

_guess there’s no excuse to not check this out then, huh?_ Sans chuckles to himself before taking a step forward, only half-surprised to find himself passing through the door like walking through mist.

He’s not sure why he didn’t expect to find another, smaller room on the other side of the mysterious door. But there is -- and a mess of a room, at that. The sole magic lamp suspended from the ceiling provides just enough light to reveal that whoever used this room tried to take the term “tempest in a teacup” a little too literally.

_what…_ **_is_ ** _this stuff?_ Sans finds himself wondering as he cautiously steps into the room, looking around at the notebooks scattered across the floor and desk as well as the odd pictures hanging from the walls. _is this… from dr. gaster’s research?_

His eyes eventually fall on several large, menacing skulls mounted haphazardly on the far wall, some of them hanging crooked on their pegs.

_...doesn’t really look like it,_ he decides, approaching one of the massive spiked skulls and staring into its empty eyesockets. _looks more like a knick-knack collection, if anything… but… why keep it all here in the lab…?_

His smile suddenly widens, and he reaches up, gently rapping on the skull’s forehead.

“Hey, at least I found something more bone-headed than me in this… lab…wha...?”

Sans pauses, then, with some apprehension, places his palm on the skull…

_...so i wasn’t imagining it,_ he realizes, gawking as the skull’s eyes light up, glowing a very faint shade of blue at his touch. _what the…_

After a moment of staring, Sans glances over his shoulder to make sure nobody is watching, then -- with some difficulty -- unhooks the skull from the wall, holding it as close to eyesocket-level as he can manage.

_what_ **_is_ ** _this thing?_ he asks himself, tilting the skull to look for any sort of hidden magic or power source to explain the glowing. _i’ve never seen anything like it… looks cool as hell, though. i wonder where dr. gaster found this?_

He fiddles with it for a few moments longer before deciding to rest it on his shoulder, carefully holding it in place with one hand.

_man, i wish i had a mirror right now, i bet i look so cool--_

“ _Sans, what are you doing here?_ ”

“Gah--!”

Spooked by the sudden sound of Gaster’s voice coming from the doorway, Sans jumps, the giant skull nearly slipping out of his grasp--

The skull’s jaw suddenly drops open, hollow eyes glowing the same neon blue as Sans’ before a blast of light bursts forth from its gaping mouth.

“ _Whoa--!_ ”

It’s all Sans can do to keep his footing as the recoil launches the skull straight into his ribs, skidding him back several feet into the wall.

After several impossibly long seconds, the laser blast finally fades away, and the skull falls against Sans’ body, eyesockets once again only a dim shade of blue.

He doesn’t even feel Gaster’s hard stare as Sans looks upon the destruction -- clean chunks of walls blasted into nothingness, half-vaporized tables, and a terrified-looking Alphys peering over the edge of the wall from the furthest room.

“ **_Sans._ ** ”

He finally looks up, feeling the marrow run cold in his bones as Gaster shoots him an icy look.

“I… it was… an accident?” he manages to eke out, his words followed by a hollow laugh. “I, uh, I didn’t think it would, um… do that? Aha… ha….”

When his words are met by a cold silence, Sans looks down, eyes going hollow.

“I’m fired, aren’t I?” he asks, unable to even fake his usual joking tone. “I’ll, uh, see myself out.”

“... _No, Sans… you aren’t fired,_ ” Gaster finally sighs, pinching what would be the bridge of his nose. “ _You_ **_are,_ ** _however, responsible for cleaning this mess up._ **_All_ ** _of it. I expect these rooms to look exactly the way they were before._ ”

The royal scientist pauses, then glances out the corner of his eyesockets at the wreckage.

“ _...what’s left of them, anyway. Do you understand?_ ”

“Y-Yes, Dr. Gaster,” Sans nods quickly, letting the relief flood over him and replace his apprehension of the task at hand. “I’m sorry, I won’t--”

“ _I would hope you won’t do that again,_ ” the royal scientist interrupts, finally approaching Sans and taking the massive skull from the shorter skeleton. “ _I will take care of this room for you. You best get to work if you plan on being able to go home anytime soon._ ”

With a brief nod, Sans finally scurries away, climbing through the hole in the wall to start cleaning the next room over.

“ _Oh, and… Sans._ ”

He looks back, watching as Gaster places the skull back on a peg on the wall.

“ _The next time you find yourself in my study… please, try not to touch anything without asking permission first,_ ” the royal scientist says lightly, taking a step back to make sure it hangs straight. “ _I would hate for there to be another accident of this nature, or worse... wouldn’t you?_ ”

He can’t quite put his finger on why, but something about the way Gaster had worded that…

“...I’ll be careful in the future,” Sans responds, choosing his words with more caution than he’s used to.

“ _Excellent. That is all I ask of you. Carry on._ ”

He lets his gaze linger on Gaster for a few moments longer before finally turning his attention back to the mess that is -- or at least, _used_ to be -- the magichemistry branch of the laboratory’s library.

As Sans uses his magic to start picking up the few pieces of wall that weren’t vaporized, he doesn’t notice Gaster turning his head to watch him, a thoughtful expression on the scientist’s face.

_Interesting. Very... Interesting._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter without Gaster or Alphys in it?! What is this madness?!

_hey bro, can you come pick me up_

Papyrus frowns, setting down the laundry basket to respond to his brother’s text.

_SANS, YOU NEVER TOLD ME WHERE THE LAB IS IN HOTLAND, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND YOU?_

Before he can even put his phone back in his pocket, it chirps again--

_clarification: pick me up. off the ground. outside the house. kthx_

“WHAT?!”

Papyrus practically throws himself towards the front door, flinging it open--

“SANS?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!”

“Y-yeah, just… bone tired,” Sans replies, his words broken by a heavy yawn as his phone slips out of his hands. “And I’m, uh, not… that keen to take a dirt nap, so, uh… if you could…?”

Despite his initial desire to leave Sans in the snow for those awful puns, Papyrus instantly obliges, scooping his brother off the ground and carrying him inside.

“BUT YOU _ARE_ ALRIGHT, RIGHT?” he asks, kicking the door back shut behind him. “YOU’RE NOT HURT OR ANYTHING, RIGHT? ...AND WHY AREN’T YOU AT WORK--?”

“Nnh… no questions,” Sans mumbles, wincing slightly at the strength of his brother’s voice. “Not now… just… put me on the couch and lemme sleep, alright…?”

Papyrus opens his jaw to chastise his brother for his laziness, but closes it when he notices how Sans is struggling just to keep his eyes open, to avoid passing out in his younger brother’s arms...

Whatever it is, Papyrus knows that it is definitely _not_ one of Sans’ typical behaviors of slacking off.

“...DO YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE, BROTHER?” he asks as he carefully lays Sans on the couch, doing what he can to mask his concern. “A BLANKET, PERHAPS?”

“Hnn… that’d be… nice…”

With only a quiet nod, Papyrus starts climbing the stairs to grab a spare blanket from his room…

By the third step, he can hear Sans’ light snores.

* * *

“YOU HAD ME _WORRIED,_ SANS! PASSING OUT AND NOT EVEN TELLING ME WHAT WAS WRONG...”

“Sorry! Sorry, it wasn’t on purpose… not this time, at least.”

Papyrus huffs, crossing his arms as Sans pulls the blanket back over his face.

“BUT.... YOU PROMISE YOU’RE NOT IN TROUBLE WITH YOUR WORK?” he asks, unable to fully mask the concern in his voice. “YOU KNOW, FOR LEAVING EARLY?”

“Are you kidding me? Dr. Gaster was the one that sent me home,” Sans replies, folding his hands over his chest as well as over the blanket. “He figured out that I was getting worn out and, uh, even gave me a couple days off just to rest and recover. I, uh… didn’t realize my work was suffering _that_ badly from being tired all the time, eheh.”

Sans hears Papyrus sitting down on the ground beside him, and can feel his brother’s stare, even through the blanket.

“BECAUSE OF THE COMMUTE?”

“....well, I mean, that’s part of it,” the shorter skeleton shrugs, finally reaching up to uncover his face again. “If there was a ferry service, that’d be fine, but since I have to  _walk_ all the way to the lab… _and_ back, too. And then I’m working long days -- like, _really_ long days…”

“YES, I _HAVE_ NOTICED THAT I’VE HAD TO START READING MY OWN BEDTIME STORIES.”

“Sorry, bro… I could probably pull it all off, no problem, if I wasn’t so damn… well, y’know…”

Papyrus sees his brother clawing lightly at his sternum, and frowns.

“SANS, YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT YOUR FAULT,” the taller skeleton chides. “SOMETIMES, YOU MAYBE USE IT AS AN EXCUSE TO BE _TOO_ LAZY, BUT YOU KNOW NOBODY GETS TO CHOOSE THE STRENGTH OF THEIR SOUL.”

Sans opens a single eye, then turns his head to look at his brother.

“...man,” he finally chuckles, holding out a weakly-clenched fist. “What would I do without a cool brother like you, Papyrus?”

“PROBABLY SLEEP ALL DAY IF YOU COULD,” Papyrus answers brightly, bumping his own fist against Sans’ as he beams. “BUT THAT’S _WHY_ YOU HAVE A COOL BROTHER LIKE ME!! TO KEEP YOU ON TASK!!”

“Heh, yep, that’s exactly it. Heh…”

Sans lets his bony hands rest over his sternum still as he turns to look up at the ceiling.

“...WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT NOW, BROTHER?” Papyrus asks, knowing that look in his brother’s eye.

“...just… thinking about how much easier things would probably be if… well, if we lived closer to the lab.”

Sans fully expects his brother to be silent at that, and Papyrus does not disappoint.

“I mean, I don’t _want_ to leave Snowdin _either_ , don’t get me wrong,” he continues, holding up his hands placatingly as though Papyrus were standing over him. “I know it’s the only place that’s felt like home for both of us, but… it’s just too _far_ now, going all the way to Hotland and coming back every day, and not getting to spend time with my favorite brother…”

“I’M YOUR _ONLY_ BROTHER, SANS.”

“Makes you my favorite by process of elimination, doesn’t it?”

Papyrus can’t stop himself from looking pleased.

“...I’m not saying we have to move _far,_ either, if we do,” Sans adds, his hands now folded over his ribs. “And _god_ , _working_ there is fine but I would never want to _live_ in Hotland. Even if we just move somewhere in Waterfall, that would be… …?”

Out of the corner of his eyesocket, Sans catches the perturbed expression on his brother’s face.

“What’s that look for?” he asks, matching it with a frown of his own.

“I’M SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY BROTHER SANS,” Papyrus replies, arms crossed in front of his chest. “BUT ALL THESE RESPONSIBLE-SOUNDING IDEAS! AND ALL THESE PLANS! YOU CANNOT _POSSIBLY_ BE MY BROTHER!”

Papyrus abruptly stands up, and Sans forces himself to sit up as he watches his brother march to the front door and throw it open.

“PERHAPS I HAVE LEFT HIM HERE LYING IN THE SNOW, AND MISTOOK ANOTHER LAZYBONES FOR HIM?” the lanky skeleton ponders aloud, making a dramatic show of searching the area around the front of their house. “OR MAYBE HE HAS LEARNED TO DUPLICATE HIMSELF, AND IS STILL AT WORK WHILE THIS DOPPELGANGER TESTS TO SEE IF I CAN TELL THE TWO OF THEM APART!”

“ _Papyrus!_ ”

Sans can’t stop himself from bursting into laughter, and Papyrus beams, shutting the front door once more.

“Man… you always know how to tickle my funny bone,” Sans jokes, his laugh quieting to a persistent giggle -- but still there. “You just can’t let me be too serious, huh?”

“SOMEONE IN THIS HOUSE HAS TO BE SERIOUS, BUT IT HAS PRETTY MUCH NEVER BEEN YOU, BROTHER!” Papyrus announces, jutting his chin out as he crosses his arms. “I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE YOU A BREAK BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF.”

“Gee, I appreciate it, bro. But I need to be serious for a little longer so that we have a game plan, alright? Dr. Gaster said I could have the next couple days off, so I think we should maybe take a look around Waterfall and see if there’s a place we both think is cool. Howzaboutit? I’ll even treat you to some Nice Cream while we’re out.”

Papyrus’ eyes light up, but before he can publicly proclaim his joy, he pauses, and lets a frown cross his face.

“...DOES THIS MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO GET A NEW HOUSE, TOO?” he asks, a hint of reluctance in his voice. “I JUST FINALLY SET UP MY ROOM THE WAY I LIKE IT…”

“Nah, bro. We’ll just move the house once we pick a spot.”

“SANS, BE AT LEAST A LITTLE REASONABLE!”

“Ah, c’mon!” Sans scoffs, grinning widely at Papyrus. “We just put wheels on the sides, tie a rope around the house…”

“SANS!!”

“...and then pull it along with us! You could even say it would be a _mobile home_.”

“ _SANS!!!_ ”

Papyrus stomps his foot, and Sans cackles gleefully at his brother’s aggravation.

“I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO BE _SERIOUS!_ ” Papyrus huffs, giving his brother the evil eye. “HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MOVE AN ENTIRE HOUSE?!”

“Well, if you _must_ know,” Sans grins, closing one eye as he holds up a single finger, “I think there’s a way to do it. I got bored at work last week and went poking around the lab’s library, and found some neat research about the Core. Did you know Dr. Gaster didn’t build the largest part of it on-site? He had to move it from the ruins to Hotland… and there’s a few pages on the spell he used to do it. It’s really neat stuff, actually. One spell, and _poof!_ \--the whole thing just teleported where it needed to be.”

“SO… WE WOULD USE MAGIC TO MOVE THE HOUSE?” Papyrus asks, still frowning a bit even as Sans answers him with a nod. “THAT SOUNDS… LIKE IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF WORK...”

“Yeah…” Sans admits, rubbing the back of his skull. “It’s a pretty complicated spell from what I remember, but… I think the two of us should be able to pull it off. I’ll have to take another look at the spell’s formula when I go back to work. Sound like a plan, though?”

When Papyrus doesn’t immediately answer, Sans looks up and sees the bemused expression on his brother’s face.

“What?”

“I AM… CONFUSED BY HOW RESPONSIBLE YOU ARE SOUNDING, BROTHER,” Papyrus admits. “YOU NORMALLY NEVER TALK ABOUT BIG, IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THIS.”

 

“Well, I--”

“BUT!” Papyrus interrupts, his expression suddenly lighting up. “I AM ALSO HAPPY, BECAUSE! IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE CARING ABOUT THINGS AGAIN, BROTHER! YOU DIDN’T REALLY CARE ABOUT ANYTHING FOR SO LONG, I WAS WORRIED THAT YOU NO LONGER COULD… BUT CLEARLY I WAS WRONG! AND THIS TIME, IT IS RIGHT TO BE WRONG! I CARE THAT I WAS WRONG BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT YOU STILL CARE, SANS!”

Papyrus beams, and Sans finds himself staring at his brother before closing his eyes, a light chuckle escaping him.

“...guess I _am_ caring again, huh?” he admits, more to himself than to his brother. “...thanks, Papyrus. You always know how to put things in a positive light.”

“OF COURSE I DO! AFTER ALL, A NEGATIVE LIGHT IS JUST DARKNESS, ISN’T IT?”

Sans laughs, and Papyrus frowns, wondering if he just accidentally made another bad joke.

“ANYWAYS!!” the taller skeleton announces, trying to move past any accidental joke as though he never made one. “WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WATERFALL, SANS?”

“I’m down for going tomorrow, if you want,” Sans shrugs before finally laying back down. “But, uh, not tonight. Tonight the only place I’m going is ‘back to sleep,’ since all that _responsibility_ I had to do just sucked all the energy out of me.”

“EVEN WHEN YOU’RE BEING RESPONSIBLE, YOU’RE JUST AS LAZY AS EVER…” Papyrus huffs as Sans grabs a couch cushion, using it as a pillow. “WELL, I SUPPOSE SOMETHING HAS TO STAY CONSTANT, DOESN’T IT? OR ELSE THE WHOLE UNDERGROUND MIGHT TURN UPSIDE-DOWN!”

“Just doing my part to help keep the peace in the Underground,” Sans chuckles as he closes his eyes. “One nap at a time.”


End file.
